The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-19
MESSRS. ROBSON g. CRANE
IN SHAHEsPEARF's "MHRRY
WIVES OF WINDSOR"
"SIender"-A Treat in store
for Memphis.

New YORK, January Falstsff''
is rare. A generation OF the English
speaking peoples which belt the globe
scarcely produces one. The great
dramatist, who had at command all
the wealth OF the human intellect and
the resources OF broad humanity,
created only one "Falstatf," end that
one is enough for the actors Of
all nations to embody and represent.
Shakespeare himself stopped there
He did not attempt to duplicate
or pavallel a character which fills
the whole field of feshly and lusty
humor. He, therefore, put the same
jolly, fat knight ia two plays, to show
all sides OF him. He was too big q
thing to compass in the five acts Of
Henry w, in which he holds posi-
ton aside from the main action and
bu:iness, and yet concentrates the in
terest upon himself. Henry ". is
now represented on the stage
only for "Fastaff." He must have
carried off the honors of
the play at its earliest performance, as
we hear that the Virgin Queen Of Eng
land, after witnessing it, expressed
wish to see "Falstsfi" in love; and,
acting upon this hint, the bard soon
produced The Merry Wives of HindsOr,
which was first played, by request, be-
fore the royal court of Elizabeth.
Stage annals do not state who was the
"Sir john" or whether the play made
a hit and long run or not; but the
fact remains that the Falstaf plays
hold the stage today, and are
presented whenever and wher-
ever a fitting represents
ton Of the fat knight is found. There
are "Hamlets" and "0thellos" and
"Macbeths" and Orchards" and
"Shylocks" a plenty in several Ian
guages, but "Falstaffs" are ecarce, even
in English. The Germans cannot
handle deity the English humor Of
the character, and the French are too
flimsy fingered to grasp 1t. 1t is
left solely to English treatment, and
it is 30 purely and securely English
that it cannot be Germanized
or Frenchified. II 10 a rank
gro with of English soil, and will
not bear traDsplanting. 1t is, there
fore, a special and individual legacy to
the English tongue and stage. "Fal-
staff is an overgrown old boy. He ID
worthless, except Tor the fun in him,
He is brimful Of humoT, and ooEy with
merriment. He is too bulky to do
honest work; he is q highwayman
from necessity; he is brsggart and
wassailer; but his quick wit and con.
tsgious, mirthful moods palliate, II
they do not excuse, his excuses,
and apologies for his being ami
doing, and such fellow could
not be friend to any one-not even
to the price who tolerates his COM
pany for the fun of 1t; nor could he be
in love with any woman except for
lust or lucre. To illustrate this lack
of all moral sentiment the dramatist
is obliged to entrap him in the
meshes of intrigue, and put him in
pursuit OF two women, who trick him
and make him an object OF ridicule.
In Henry ", at the head Of gang
of Iagamuffins, Sir John Falstsf
has q kind Of dignity, and
wins admiration by his wit. In
the Merry Wires he is necessarily out
witted and egregiously befooled but
it takes two women and their Jealous
husbands to do 1t. While his qualities
Of entertainment are not impaired, the
spectator almost feels sorry 10 see him
running such q muck and coming out
beaten. Bat this was a foregons con-
clusion and a dramatic necessity, SIS
there could be no other end to the
Illicit love chase. Hitherto the
"Fslstaffs" Of our time were
James II. Haekett and Ben DeBaI.